Global warming is expected to become an increasingly important issue for a significant fraction of the world's population. Global temperatures are expected to rise several degrees in the coming decades, leading to extreme weather events, ozone depletion, animal and plant extinctions and more pronounced spread of diseases. Driving much of this warming are hydrocarbon emissions from automobile sources. It is thus natural to assert that since automobiles have brought to our present global warming crisis, they should be the conduit to reverse present CO.sub.2 buildup.
We assert that this reversal can be best accomplished via the construction of an automobile motor that burns a carbon-free fuel while at the same time reduces the ambient levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is accomplished in the present invention by the reaction of incoming CO.sub.2 with aqueous base in the motor system. The aqueous base is produced in situ by electrochemical oxidation of water in the presence of a metal salt. The energy for the electrolysis derives in part from a turbo-generator connected to exhaust end of an internal combustion engine. The reaction of CO.sub.2 with hydroxide base is illustrated as follows for hydroxide salts possessing group I cations M.sup.+:CO.sub.2+2M.sup.+(OH.sup.−).fwdarw.M.sub.2CO.sub.3+H.sub.20
It is understood that cations from groups I (for example Li.sup.+, Na.sup.+, K.sup.+), group II (for example Ca.sup.+2 or Sr.sup.+2) or group III (e.g Al.sup.+3), as well as transition metals, may be used. M may also represent ammonia containing cations, such as NH.sub.4.sup.+. The resulting carbonate salt can be collected in a suitable receptacle in the automobile and later disposed in solid form. In this manner we have a net reversal of CO.sub.2 emissions. The reaction vessel may be in the form of a grill having hydroxide-containing channels that are exposed to incoming air/CO.sub.2. The reaction vessel containing aqueous base may be located in the path to the intake manifold of the engine or it may be located in the path after combustion. The present invention can be also be used in an automobile that burns hydrocarbons, for a diminution of CO2 emissions. Typical reaction temperatures would be from −25.degree. C. to 100.degree. C.
The hydroxide in the present invention is made in situ via the electrolysis of an aqueous salt solution as shown in the following reaction:2M.sup.++2H.sub.2O+2e.sup.−.fwdarw.H.sub.2+2MOHwhere M is again a metal.
As shown in the FIG. 1, a reaction vessel 23, termed ‘CO2 Eliminator’, is placed inline with the motor air intake. The reaction vessel is preferably a high surface area structure containing an aqueous hydroxide solution that reacts with the incoming carbon dioxide. The solution is circulated in the reaction vessel until it is heavily laden with carbonate salt. The carbonate slurry is transferred to a receptacle that precipitates out the carbonate. The aqueous hydroxide is obtained via electrochemical oxidation of a salt solution (e.g. chloride) contained in the electrolyser shown attached to the CO2 Eliminator. Electricity to run the electrolyser can come from different sources. It can come from an electrochemical storage device such as a battery or the turbo-generator. The turbo-generator can also store energy in the batteries or fuel cells. Typically turbos in automobiles intake hot exhaust and send it back to the engine. In our case the turbo-generator aspirates fresh air to cool the internal engine components and to react the ambient carbon dioxide. The water can come extraneously from a receptacle or can be generated in situ from condensation of exhaust gas.